PART SEVEN

 

 

Prayer Shawl

and

Bible Manners and Customs

 

The Prayer Shawl, (aka. tallis, tallit, talis) is a religious symbol, a garment, shroud, canopy, cloak which envelops the Jew both physically and spiritually, in prayer and celebration, in joy and sorrow. While some other Jewish garments or objects might be treated more casually, the tallit is a special personal effect, generally used for many years or a lifetime and never discarded. Most Jewish men (and some women) own very few tallitot in their lifetimes. A threadbare tallit is treated with great respect, as if it had a mantle of holiness, acquired from years of use. Although there is no mandatory tradition, in Conservative, reform, and otherwise nonreligious families a tallit, as well as tefillin, is likely to be given as a special gift, from father to son, from father-in-law to son-in-law, or from teacher to student. It might be purchased to mark a special occasion, such as a wedding, a bar/bat mitzvah, or a trip to Israel. When a man dies, it is traditional that he be buried dressed only in his kittel, with his tallit is draped over him.

Anyone attending an orthodox synagogue today will see that the men are all wearing prayer shawls. It is a very important part of Jewish life. Learning about this sacred garment will teach many exciting lessons from other Bible stories, even in the New Testament! It is used at all major Jewish occasions: circumcisions, bar mitsvahs, weddings and burials.

 

It protects the scrolls of the Torah when they are moved.

             

It inspired the Jewish flag.

Three separate people had the same idea. They just unfurled the prayer shawl and added the Shield of David and created the flag of Israel.

The dead are wrapped in it when they are buried.

 

 

After death, Jews are buried with varying customs, depending on where they are to be buried. In the Diaspora, burial takes place within a plain, wooden casket. The corpse is collected from the place of death (home, hospital, etc.) by the chevra kadisha (burial committee). After a ritual washing of the body , the body is dressed in a kittel (shroud) and then a tallit. One of the tzitzit is then cut off.

In the Land of Israel, burial is without a casket, and the kittel and tallith are the only coverings for the corpse.

In addition to tahrihim, the shroud, (Shrouds are white and entirely hand-stitched. They are made without buttons, zippers, or fasteners) Tahrihim swaddle the entire body, including the face, so that the deceased is both clothed and protected against the gaze of other people. These shrouds symbolize purity, simplicity, and dignity. Shrouds have no pockets. They, therefore, can carry no material wealth. The clothes to be worn should be appropriate for one who is shortly to stand in judgment before God Almighty, Master of the universe and Creator of man. Hence some Jews  wrapped their dead in the prayer shawl (tallit) in which the deceased prayed. Every tallit is tied with four sets of knotted fringes (tzizit), which symbolize the commandment (mitzvot) incumbent upon Jews. Before the tallit is placed on a body for burial, however, one of the sets of fringes is cut to demonstrate that the person is no longer bound by the religious obligations of the living.

 

 

Proof of Resurrection:

Jesus folded his Tallit when he arose from the dead.

 

Yeshua, the Messiah, also was put in the tomb with His prayer

shawl about His head as was the custom of burial. The TALLIT,

which the KJV Holy Bible calls the napkin, is one of the many great infallible proofs, as Jesus showed Himself ALIVE after his death on the cross.

John 20:6-8 we read, "Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie, And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself. Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw, and believed."

As Peter and then John entered the empty tomb, they saw something that immediately convinced them that the resurrection of Yeshua was irrefutable fact. This is just a single small example of the richness of the proof of the resurrection. It also shows why Gentiles should rejoice that the Jewish Roots of the Gospel are being restored by the modern Messianic movement.

Yeshua knew that when Simon Peter burst into the tomb and found it empty, Peter would think the Romans had somehow disposed of the body. That is why Yeshua, at the time of His resurrection, on Saturday, the Sabbath, Nissan 17, three days and nights after His death on the cross on Wednesday, Nissan 14, 30AD, folded His Tallit. Yeshua took the time to precisely fold His prayer shawl, His TALLIT, and lay it apart from the other grave wrappings.

When Peter saw the tallit, as only Yeshua would fold it, he knew that the Romans did not take the body; because, if they had, NO WAY would they have folded, or even known how Yeshua folded His tallit. Yeshua MUST be alive to fold that tallit, Yeshua's way, as Peter and John knew very well.

 

 

 

 

Prayer Closet

 

 

TALITH contains two Hebrew words; TAL meaning tent and ITH meaning little. Thus, you have LITTLE TENT. Each man had his own little tent. Six million Jews could not fit into the tent of meeting that was set up in the Old Testament. Therefore, what was given to them was their own private sanctuary where they could meet with God. Each man had one! His Prayer Shawl or Talith. They would pull it up over their head, forming a tent, where they would begin to chant and sing their Hebrew songs, and call upon God. It was intimate, private, and set apart from anyone else -- enabling them to totally focus upon God. This was their prayer closet!

 

 

Matthew 6:6 tells us to enter into our "closet" for prayer. When a Jewish man puts on his prayer shawl, he closes himself in and shuts out the world. This effectively becomes his "prayer closet" and this was an image in the mind of Matthew when he wrote the admonition of Jesus.

 

 

The Wings

 

Jewish weddings are sometimes performed under a prayer shawl held up during the ceremony by four poles called a chupa or huppah. In Mid East culture they cast a garment over one being claimed for marriage. In Numbers 15:38 the word translated border or corner is a Hebrew word which can also be translated wings as it is some seventy-six times in the biblical text. For this reason, the corners of the prayer shawl are often called wings.

 

 

Lord speaks to Jerusalem

Ezekiel 16:8, , "and I spread my wing over thee, and covered thy nakedness,"

Psalm 91 "abide under the shadow of the Almighty " and "under His wings."

Malachi 4:2 "But to you who fear My name the Sun of Righteousness shall arise  with healing in His wings";

As the tallit was placed over the head, it formed his own tent. WINGS of the garment were formed when the arms were held out. For this reason, the corners of the prayer shawl are often called "wings." During the first century there were several traditions associated with the tzitzit concerning Messiah. One was that these knotted fringes possessed healing powers.   The same word used in Numbers 15:38 for corner is used in Malachi 4:2 for wings. With this understanding in mind, an ancient Jew under the prayer shawl could be said to be dwelling in the secret place of the Most High and under His wings (Ps. 91:1-4).

 

 

Ruth and Boaz

 

In the book of Ruth, Ruth found herself at the feet of Boaz. According to the Levirate system Ruth was expected to get children to keep her husbands family through the kinsmen of her husband, this move was too fast for Boaz. This was a direct claim for that right from Ruth.

Ruth 3:9 He said, "Who are you?" And she answered, "I am Ruth, your maidservant; spread your skirt over your maidservant, for you are next of kin."

She had the right to be covered by her Jewish spouses Talis as a symbolic expression of marriage symbol. Ruth was also indicating that it was her legal right in accordance with the commandments which the Tiztzit reminded. She was taking the cover of the law of Moses.

 

Deu 25:5 "If brothers dwell together, and one of them dies and has no son, the wife of the dead shall not be married outside the family to a stranger; her husband's brother shall go in to her, and take her as his wife, and perform the duty of a husband's brother to her.

 

It is interesting to note that a similar custom still prevails at an orthodox Jewish wedding, when the bridegroom covers his bride with his tallit, his prayer shawl, with its tassels at each corner, signifying that he is taking her into his care.

                                       

 

The hem of a Jew's garment was not, as in modern clothes, a simple fold of the cloth, sewn down to prevent the edge from fraying. It was a decorative feature that made a statement about the status and importance of the wearer. The people of other nearby nations also had this custom. In texts found in Mesopotamia, references indicate that the removal of the fringe of a man's garment was the equivalent of removing part of his personality. To cut off the hem of a wife's garment was regarded as divorcing her. Tablets have been found with the impression of a fringe as the mark of the individual, a personal seal or signature.

In New Testament times, ordinary people only wore a tallit on special occasions, if at all. It was the Pharisees who seem to have worn it regularly and, apparently in some cases, often for show. 

Jesus expresses no disapproval of the custom itself but he does condemn the extra long fringes that they affected to display their piety [Matthew 23:5]. Thus the hem or fringe of a garment indicated the rank or personality of the wearer.

 

David and Saul

When David spared Saul's life, he took away evidence that he had him in his power: "Then David arose, and cut off the skirt (hem) of Saul's robe privily," 1 Samuel 24:4.

Why did David do this, and why did his conscience smite him for having done it? Was there some special significance in what he had done? In fact the act of cutting off the skirt (fringe) of Saul's robe was of very great significance, which Saul was not slow to recognize. When the shouting began next day Saul said: "And now, behold, I know well that thou shalt surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in thine hand" (1 Sam. 24:20). David had robbed Saul of his status symbol, the fringe of his robe that identified him as king. The fringes on the garment were a status symbol.

 

 

 

Elijah and Elisha

 

The Prophet Elijah passed his mantle on to Elisha in II Kings 2. Many believe that this mantle was actually his Talis and was symbolic of the power of prayer that Elijah had saturated that mantle with. This mantle that Elijah left behind as he was taken up by a whirlwind into heaven, was what Elisha struck and parted the waters with. Elijah's mantle was a status symbol.

It will be remembered that Jesus castigated the Pharisees for enlarging their fringes (Matt. 23:5), the inference being that they were thereby trying to magnify their importance. Despite this, he must sometimes have worn one himself as the story of the woman who touched the hem of his garment suggests [Luke 8:43, 44].  What was the significance of the hem of His garment and how did she know touching it would heal her? Other people, too, were healed by touching the borders or tassels of his clothes [Mark 6:56].

 

 

 

 

The Hem of His Garment

 

"But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness

arise with healing in his wings," Malachi 4:2. One of the best known miracles of healing that Jesus performed was the occasion when a woman who had suffered from a hemorrhage for twelve years came up behind him and touched the hem of his garment, Matthew 9:20 The woman was, in fact, reaching for the tassels on Jesus' prayer shawl. In Hebrew, these tassels, which are attached to the corners of the prayer shawl, are called tzitzit. Why should she stoop to touch the fringe? Why not his arm, or his feet?

For a certainity, a jew could never refuse a request made while holding the fringes of the tallit.

 

During the first century there were several traditions associated with the tzitzit concerning Messiah. One was that these knotted fringes possessed healing powers. Certainly the woman with the issue of blood knew of these traditions, which would explain why she sought to touch the hem (the wings) of Jesus' prayer garment. The lady with the issue knew that if Jesus were the promised Messiah, there would be healing in His wings (fringes). That this was the opinion of many other people is revealed by the crowd who sought his healing powers, "that they might only touch the hem of his garment: and as many as touched were made perfectly whole,"

Matthew 14:36.

In Jesus' day, Jewish men wore a simple tunic both at home and at work. When appearing in public, they would cover their tunic with a large rectangular cloth which draped over the shoulder and fell to the ankles. This cloth was called a tallit and served as protection from cold and rain. Hanging from the end of each of its four corners (wings) was a tzitzit in obedience to the biblical command.

Through the centuries, during times of persecution, Jews were often forbidden to wear the tzitzit on the outside of their garments.

This forced them to wear a small four-cornered tallit under their shirts. Today the prayer shawl is called a tallit. During the first century there were several traditions associated with the tzitzit concerning Messiah. One was that these knotted fringes possessed healing powers. This tradition has its roots in the prophecy of Malachi 4:2 where the Messiah is said to be coming with healing in His wings. Certainly the woman with the issue of blood knew of these traditions, which would explain why she sought to touch the corner (the wings) of Jesus' prayer garment.

The same word used in Numbers 15:38 for corner is used in Malachi 4:2 for wings.

With this understanding in mind, an ancient Jew under the prayer shawl could be said to be dwelling in the secret place of the Most High and under His wings (Ps. 91:1-4). When one realized the significance of this concept to the first century Hebraic mind, it becomes clear why this woman was instantly healed. She was expressing her faith in Jesus as the Son of Righteousness with healing in His wings and declaring her faith in God's prophetic Word.

 

“Swaying” as You Pray

 

When a Jewish man prays, he sways. Among the reasons offered to explain this moving of the body while praying, two are more widely held.

The first comes from Proverbs 20:27, which says, "The lamp of the Lord searches the spirit of a man; it searches out his inmost being". The Jews conclude that the spirit of the man is the candle of the Lord and it should flicker and wave in harmony with the light of the Torah.

The second comes from Psalm 35:10, which says, "My whole being will exclaim, 'Who is like you, 0 Lord?"'

This act of swaying produces a trance in which the person thinks only of the Lord as he prays the Word of God. The Apostle Paul speaks of this in Acts 22:17 when he says, "When I returned to Jerusalem and was praying at the Temple, I fell into a trance and saw the Lord speaking". Peter had a similar experience in prayer recorded in Acts 10:9-16. Peter was accustomed to praying three times daily in this manner. This was his afternoon prayer (Mincha). He obviously fell into this trance.

 

Tallit a Kum

 

Another story unfolds in Matthew in Matthew 9:18-26 and Mark 5:20-43. We find Jesus being sent for by Jairus, a ruler of a synagogue, to minister healing to his daughter. Before Jesus can get to her a woman with an issue of blood comes and touches his garment. If she can just touch the "hem of his garment" she will be made whole. The word, translated hem in this passage, is the same one translated as fringes in other passages. She knew that if she could just get hold of God, she could be healed. Jesus knew that He had been touched. Mark 5:30 says Jesus knew virtue went out of him. The word rendered virtue is more accurately translated

"power". The Hebrew equivalent from the LXX, is "army or host". Power left Him……….was it power to heal? Yes, to a point, but it was more than that. Cleanliness left Him. The woman rendered Him unclean by touching His clothes. Through no fault of His own, He became unclean and He felt the power leaving Him. This is important to the rest of the story. It was forbidden for a rabbi or priest to touch a dead body and remove his state of cleanliness. When Jesus reached Jairus house, He was told that the girl was dead. Jesus states the she is only asleep and they laugh Him to scorn, Mark 5:40. Why did He make this statement? He wanted them to know she was dead and He was going in. He was allowed to enter because the woman with the issue of blood rendered Him unclean. Then Jesus calls "Talitha Cumi". The translators tell us it means "damsel, arise". There are other words that would have been used to address the girl. What Jesus actually said was more like – Girl in the Tallit, God says arise! This is why He said not to tell what had happened. The people knew she was dead and would just as surely know she was now alive. What Jesus did not want them to know as yet was the fact that He walked, lived and

functioned on earth as God and in fact was God! He knew it and those in the room knew it, but He did not want anyone else to know it as yet.